Pinball machine with sloping playing field

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a pinball machine having downward and side sloping playing field and a plurality of slots at the bottom of the playing field. The slots have sensor which can be selectively activated to detect the presence of a ball so as to register a score. Bumpers are also provided to translate a ball throughout a plurality of locations on the playing field.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pinball machine having a downward andside sloping playing field, and having a plurality of slots at thebottom of the playing field, which change in value according to aprogram. More particularly, the slots contain one or more slots whichsense entry of a ball so as to register a score.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pinball machines have numerous configurations that are well known in theart. It is conventional practice in a pinball machine apparatus tomodify the structure on the game surface, the design and the score valueof different targets in order to revive the incentive of practicedplayers without changing the principal of the game.

There are many commercially available pinball machines that incorporatevarious scoring indicators, lights, graphics and sound. These machinesinclude mechanical three-dimensional figures that communicate visuallyand audibly with a player.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,049 to Borg, which is herein incorporated byreference, discloses a pinball machine wherein a section of the playingfield is changed by rotating the section to expose different components.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,142 to Arad, which is herein incorporated byreference, discloses a pinball machine having provisions for translatinga ball in play throughout a plurality of locations. There is alsoprovided an audio system to provide a speaking effect in response todifferent play conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a pinball machinehaving a slanted playing field and a plurality of playing slots arrangedat the bottom of the playing field. The slots are provided with sensorsfor detecting a ball that enters the slot. A microprocessor is provided,which can activate at least one slot to record a score and change whichslot is activated or deactivated so as to alter the playing of the game.Means are provided on the playing field to translate a ball in playthroughout a plurality of locations thereon.

Advantageously, audio means are provided in association with themicroprocessor for providing speaking and/or sound or light effects inresponse to different play conditions.

The playing field may optionally be tilted to a side wall so as toprovide a double slope either mechanically or manually.

There may also be provided a three dimensional figure, which responds toa play on the field.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a pinball gameapparatus, which changes in scoring strategy at low cost.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pinball gameapparatus, which alters the playing field to challenge the skill of theuser.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide visual and soundeffects, which respond to the playing conditions.

It is a further object of the invention to allow a player to alter theplaying field according to a programmed selection.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the simplest form of the invention there isprovided a pinball apparatus 10 comprising a housing 11 having an upperface 12, which form the playing field. The playing field isconventionally covered by a transparent glass pane 13.

The housing 11 is defined by a first or top wall 14, a rear wall 15 andside walls 16 and 17. The playing field 12 is inclined downwardly towardthe rear wall 15 so that a ball will roll downwardly because of gravity.According to the invention, the playing field also can be inclinedtoward one of the sides 16 and 17 by up to about 10 degrees. Thisincline to one of the sides can be permanent or variable by selection ofa microprocessor or manually by the player.

The playing field has a plurality of path altering pins 18 toaccommodate various ball path-altering provisions. The playing field mayalso contain first ball path altering slots 19 formed by walls 28. Thepins 18 may also comprise various fixed and elastic, active and passivetargets as common in the game.

Along the bottom wall 15 there is a second plurality of slots 20, formedby walls 20A, which contain sensors 21 that can sense a ball enteringone of the slots 20.

A ball launch guide 20′, is disposed near one side of the housing 11.Launch guide 20′ is bound by a wall 22 which is offset a nominaldistance from side wall 17 to form a ball launching channel. A springloaded pull knob 23 having a grasping handle 22, ball contact end 24,and an intermediate body having a compression spring 25, is collinearlymounted through housing 11 along the longitudinal extent of launch guide20′. When knob 23 is fully extended, ball 0 exits launch guide 20′, andis first expelled by releasing knob 23. Once ball 0 exits launch guide20′, it is in play and may come into contact with wall 14, pins 18 andenters first slots 19. The object of the game is to enter into aselected slot 20. Each slot 20 is provided with a sensor 21, which isassociated with a microprocessor that contains a program which activatesor deactivates a sensor 21 in one or more of the slots 20 with each gameso that the player would be required to alter his playing strategy witheach game. In addition, the microprocessor provides each slot 20 with avalue so that the same score will reflect the player's skill in beingable to enter a given slot 20.

Along the upper part of the housing 11 and along the top wall 14 is adisplay board 32, which is associated with a microprocessor to providethe score and a visual display on screen 33 in accordance with the playon the playing field and the sensors 21 activated by a ball 0. At leastone sensor 21 provides a bonus score and is displaced by an LED. Themicroprocessor is also programmed to deactivate a sensor 21 so that whenthe ball enters a deactivated slot, the play is lost. The microprocessoris further programmed to count the number of balls 0 which enter theslot so that the odds are changed and the player must develop adifferent strategy. If the ball 0 rests on a lighted slot, the sensorsignals the microprocessor, which senses the display board 32 anddisplays the cumulative score. Generally, there are sixteen slots 20 onthe playing field and at least four of the slots 20 are activated andlit by an LED so as to display a slot that allows scoring.

Along the playing field are a plurality of pins 18, which randomlydirect the ball to slots 19 and 20. The size and shape of the pins aswell as their positioning on the playing field have an effect on theball and the odds of a ball going to a specific slot.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration according to thepresent invention wherein a microprocessor or CPU 50 is a memory devicein which every processing program is stored. CPU 50 controls the LCDdisplay 42, a coin insertion and detection unit 60 for detecting theinsertion of a coin and includes a coin payout unit for paying out coinsupon activation of button 24.

The CPU has a motor control unit 61 which controls the activation of thesensors 21, a lamp control unit 62 which illuminates the apparatus uponinsertion of a coin, a LED control unit 63 for the LED's 48 of thesensors 21 and other illuminations, a LCD control unit 64 for the videodisplay 33 which also contains a graphic RAM for storing graphic data tobe sent to the video display 33 and a character ROM in which characterdata are stored, and a sound control unit 65 which stores sounds fordifferent activities on the video display 33.

Upon inserting a number of coins into the slot 42 prior to playing thegame, a sensing means senses the coins inserted so as to provide pulsesignals corresponding to the number of coins which are transmitted toand counted by detection unit and by pressing buttons 41A, a signal issent to activate the reel control unit 61 which provides a signal to themicroprocessor to activate the game.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the playing fieldcan be tilted to the right side or left side. A mechanism such as a stepmotor 31 is mounted on the underside of the playing field surface. Themotor 31 can be operated manually by the player or as part of theprogram within the CPU 50.

The game need not be limited to enter the slots 20 for scoring. Theplaying field may be provided with active and/or inactive pins andbumpers which not only provide scoring but activate a video or soundprogram. The balls 0 as they roll down the inclined plane randomly bumpinto pins or bumpers to deflect the path of the ball. At the bottom ofthe playing field here may be provided thrust levers or flippers 52controlled by buttons 50 which can put the ball 0 back into play foradditional scoring or direction. The length of the flippers can be asconventionally used in pinball apparatus.

The playing field at the back wall is provided with a gutter or returnmechanism which is conventional in the art. One such mechanism isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,213 which is herein incorporated byreference.

The game is played in a manner similar to known pinball machines. In thepreferred embodiment the general rules are as follows: The player getsfive balls, 30 per game. Scoring is made by having a ball enter into oneof lit or activated slots 20. The game can be started by placing coinsinto slot 42 whereby coin insert and detection unit 60 signals theCPU50. The CPU50 has a control unit which illuminates the game board byLED's, an LCD for visual display and the audio units.

The player selects the desired odds by pressing button 41. These oddsare displayed on the display 33 together with activation, or lightingthe select number of slots 20, a play button 41A is pressed to lock inthe odds. The start button 41″ which causes the release of a ball 0 intolaunch channel 20′. Optionally, button 41″ controls the slope of thegame field to the right or left. However, it is understood that theslope to either side may be permanent.

The ball 0 is put into play by extending and releasing knob 32. The ballin play can be controlled by the skill of the player in being able tocontrol the direction of the ball by a controlled vibration of themachine. Optionally, a tilt mechanism 66 may be provided to control thedegree of vibration. If the tilt detector is activated the game is over.

The ball 0 travels downward toward the back wall 15 so as to enter oneof the slots 20 and activate one of the sensors 21 which are lit.According to the game, either initial failure to enter an activated slotterminates the game or registers no score and permits play of theremaining balls 0. If the ball enters an activated slot, the CPU sensesthe display and displays the cumulative score.

The projected images and sounds can be triggered b one or more targetsor pins 18 which are electrically connected with the CPU50 to trigger aimage or sound upon impact with a ball 0. There may be provided aprojector (not shown) which comprises a cassette with an endless filmwhich cyclically produces an image on the display. There is further thepossibility to trigger image reproduction and sound or change when twoor more targets have been hit, whether in a predetermined or randomsequence.

The player may choose to continue to play based on the cumulative scoreor he may choose to pay out. The machine may be programmed to dispensetickets or coins.

Within the housing there can be a step motor 31 associated with theplaying field so as to tilt the playing field to one of the sides 16,17.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that it is not intended to be limited tothe particular embodiments shown, but on the contrary, the intention isto cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a pinball machine with a housing having a topwall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls and of which the upper faceis designed as a playing area, said housing having means for translatingat least one ball throughout a plurality of locations therein, means forselectively scoring points responsive to play action and means fordisplaying said points responsive to said play action, the improvementwhich comprises that said play area is inclined downwardly so that aball will roll downwardly because of gravity and inclined toward one ofthe side walls, and a plurality of slots about the rear wall, said slotshaving a means for sensing said balls in communication with said meansfor scoring, whereby at least one slot contains a selectively activatedsensor to communicate entry of a ball to provide a score.
 2. The pinballmachine of claim 1 wherein said means for scoring comprises amicroprocessor.
 3. The pinball machine of claim 1 wherein the playingarea is manually inclined toward a side wall up to about 10 degrees. 4.The pinball machine of claim 1 wherein the inclination to a side wall isvariable.
 5. The pinball machine of claim 4 wherein motor means inassociation with a microprocessor varies the inclination to a side wall.6. The pinball machine of claim 1 wherein said slots are selectivelyactivated to sense a ball.
 7. The pinball machine of claim 1 including atilt detector.
 8. The pinball machine of claim 2 including flipper meansfor flipping a ball.
 9. The pinball machine of clam 1 comprising up to16 slots containing sensing means.
 10. The pinball machine of claim 9including means for providing a visual display and sound when a ballenters a selected slot with an activated sensing means.